British Esports and the UK Ministry of Defence have officially announced Sunderland as the host city for the inaugural International Defence Esports Games (IDEG), which is a new global gaming tournament designed for military personnel.

The finals, called IDEG26, will take place from October 9 to October 11, 2026, at the British Esports Federation’s new National Gaming and Esports Arena in the city. The entries for IDEG26 will open in January 2026, with online qualifying rounds taking place before the live finals in October.

According to the official announcement, the UK Ministry of Defence has asked British Esports to run the event through its Cyber and Specialist Operations Command. As a part of this deal, British Esports will help design the event and create a competitive format that challenges players both individually and as teams, with virtual matches taking place across different countries.

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During the event, military teams from around the world will take part in this competition. The top eight countries in each of the four game titles (after online qualifying) will compete over the weekend in titles including Call of Duty and FPV simulator VelociDrone.

British Esports President, Chester King, said in an official statement, “The launch of the IDEG is a historic occasion for British Esports and military personnel worldwide. We are honoured to host the inaugural finals at our National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland, which will showcase our world-class facilities and the city and region’s emerging status as a digital innovation cluster.

Cllr Michael Mordey, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said, “We’re delighted that Sunderland will play host to the inaugural International Defence Esports Games at the brand new national Esports Area. Our relationship with British Esports is well established and we’re proud to be working closely with them to support further investment in the city and bring internationally significant events to the North East. I’m sure this will be the first of many to come, cementing Sunderland as a leading location for esports.”

The tournament comes after the UK Ministry of Defence officially recognised esports as a military sport in 2024 and partnered with British Esports to develop military cyber skills.

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